Howard police add 50 defibrillators to patrol cars

Howard County has added 50 portable automatic external defibrillators to police cars, enabling officers on patrol to begin life-saving help on people whose hearts have stopped.

The devices, which are used to jump-start a heartbeat, cost $55,850, police said. The units were placed in patrol cars and spread across the county because police sometimes reach emergency scenes before rescue workers, officials said.

A police spokeswoman said the department will evaluate their use to determine whether having more defibrillators would be useful.

andrea.siegel@baltsun